Resilient wheel.



I C. A. LANGPORD. RESILIBNT WHEEL. v APPLIOATION FILEUJULY 28,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES A. LANG'FORD, 0F RIO, WISCONSIN.

RESILI'ENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 28, 1910. Serial No. 574,364.`

Iication.

My invention relates to improvements in resilient wheels and has for its -v object theprovision of a resilient wheel whieh'shall be pneumatic in action but n'onpunct-urable,-`

and which shall -beof simple construction and efficient in operation'. i

The invent-ion5 consists of a co bination` and ar-randement of parts-.l1ere1nafter de- The invention will be best ,understood by reference to the accompanying ldrawing forming a part of this specication, the same being a sectional elevation of a wheel embodying my invention. v. v

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing, comprises an inner annular air chamber 1 provided with a valve nipple l for the introduction of compressed air. therein. v Chamber l is supported from the hub'2 by means of inner spokes 3 and carries outer lspokes 4 radiating therefrom and provided with air cylinders 5 therein. Check valves 6 are interposed between cylinders 5 and air chamber 1 and arranged to permit passage of air from said airA chamber to said cylinders, but prevent the return passage of the air.

Mounted in cylinders 5 are pistons 7 carry-- ing iston rods 7 having 'supporting heads or anges 8 at their outer ends. A tread rim9 of rubber or other suitable flexible material, is supported on heads 8. The outer ends of spokes 4 are connected togetherby rim 10 having bosses4 11 Iarranged to receive the ,outer endsof saidl spokes and provided with ball bearings 12 arranged to contact with-.pistonfrods 7 and relieve lateral'friction"thereon; By this construction 'it will bel observed that the tread-rim 9 will be supported pneumatically without actual Contact of the pneumatic support with the ground, and that air chambers l can be supplied with` compressed air through nip-ple 1, the said compressed air being free to pass to the diii'erent spokes in Resilient cylinders 5 but not free to pass. from said spokes cylinders'to'said air chamber. By this arrangement a great intensity of pressure will be developed in each ofthe spokes cylinders by inward movements of' pistons 7, inasmuch as the compression produced therebyis localized in the corresponding spokes 4.

. While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction forearrylng my invention into effect this is ca- Apable ofvariation or modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

. I, therefore, do not wish to be limitedto the exact detailsvset forth, but desire to ava-il myself of such variations and modifications as come-within the ,scope of the appending claim. l

v Having thus described my invention what I'c'laim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A resilient wheel comprising a hub, an annular' air chamber encircling said hub Patented July 11, 191.1.l

and connected thereto, tubular spokes radiating from the outer wall of said chamber and made integral therewith, said chamber and said spokes being adapted to contain air under pressure, there .being communicating passage ways between said spokes' and said chamber, a rim connectin the outer ends of said spokes, integraspaced bosses on said rim provided with rec esses to receive the ends of said spokes., an

outer rim, a plurality of piston rods fixed to said outer rim and extending into said spokes, pistons in said spokes and fixed to' said rods said bosses being provided with elongate radially disposedv recesses upon opposite sides of said rods, ball bearings 1n said recesses, and check valves' at the inner ends of said spokes controlling said passage ways between the spokes and the chamber, whereby said passage ways are `closed as the piston moves inwardly and fopen as the pistons move outwardly, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my yname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. CHARLES A. LANGFOBD. Witnesses:

ANDREW AMoNDsoN, H. E. BEDLEY.

Copies'of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the"Commssioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

wie. 

